All statewide offices now held by GOP, 2008 turnout record is not surpassed, Lucy Baxley's political career ends

Republican Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh, center, takes the oath of office as president of the Alabama Public Service Commission from state Supreme Court Justice Kelli Wise on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, at the PSC hearing room in Montgomery, Ala. Watching are her husband, Jeff Cavanaugh, and daughter, An Wilkes. (AP Photo/Phillip Rawls)

By Dana BeyerleTimes Montgomery Bureau

Published: Wednesday, November 7, 2012 at 4:22 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, November 7, 2012 at 5:55 p.m.

The last statewide Democratic office holder departed Wednesday when Republican Public Service Commissioner Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh was sworn in as PSC president just hours after defeating incumbent Democrat Lucy Baxley.

Moore will take office in January, a little more than eight years after he was removed as chief justice for violating a federal court order to remove his Ten Commandments monument from the Judicial Building.

“We're going to stand for the acknowledgement of God,” said Moore, who was known as the Ten Commandments judge.

Moore received 1,042,852 votes, or 52 percent, to Vance's 967,046 votes, according to incomplete and unofficial results.

Moore twice ran unsuccessfully for governor, in 2006 and 2010, but lost in GOP primaries. He said he felt “vindicated” by Tuesday's vote.

“They certainly see me as chief justice,” Moore said.

All seven incumbent members of Congress were re-elected.

U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, won a ninth term in the Fourth Congressional District by beating Democratic state Rep. Daniel Boman, D-Sulligent. Aderholt got 197,630 votes to Boman's 68,427, according to a complete but unofficial tally.

Aderholt represents Etowah County.

Baxley, the sole statewide Democratic officeholder, said this was her last race. All 31 statewide elected positions are in the GOP column.

“The people of Alabama have now voted Republican leaders into every statewide elected office,” Gov. Robert Bentley said. “We have a responsibility to serve the people of this state, and we do not take that responsibility lightly.”

Baxley was elected to statewide office twice as state treasurer, once as lieutenant governor and once as PSC president.

“She has a real legacy and was a real role model in the state,” Cavanaugh said.

Cavanaugh, a former Republican Party chairwoman, said elections are about party affiliation, but serving in office is nonpartisan.

“The reality is once you're sworn in, it's not about the party, it's about the people of all Alabama,” she said.

Cavanaugh's election creates a vacancy in PSC Place 1, which she has represented since 2010. Speculation is that Bentley will appoint state Rep. Jeremy Oden, R-Eva, to it, possibly next week.

“We're talking and working out details, but I can't say (anything),” Oden said in a telephone interview.

PSC president and chief justice were the only two contested statewide offices on Tuesday's ballots, but voter turnout didn't match the record set in 2008 during the historic election of Barack Obama as the nation's first black president. Obama was re-elected Tuesday, but, as in 2008, he didn't win Alabama.

With 2,710 of 2,711 Alabama precincts reporting, 2,050,813 people voted for president on Tuesday. The remaining precinct is for provisional ballots.

The turnout in 2008 was 2,096,114. Unless provisional ballots and yet-uncounted absentee ballots from overseas are more than about 46,000, the 2008 turnout will remain the record. Nov. 28 is vote-certification day.

Alabama has 3.162 million registered voters, but 2.833 million are considered active voters. Secretary of State Beth Chapman said voter turnout was 72.3 percent of the number of active, registered voters.

Republicans won the uncontested appellate court races.

Ten of 11 statewide constitutional amendments passed, including the Forever Wild amendment, Bentley's Amendment 2 that updates the state's industrial incentive fund and the amendment shifting legislative pay decisions to the state Personnel Office based on the average Alabama family's income.

“I want to thank the people of Alabama for approving Amendment 2 and allowing us to continue bringing more new jobs to this state,” Bentley said. “Job creation remains my No. 1 priority, and my efforts to attract more jobs will continue until everyone who wants a job is able to find one.”

After a campaign by the Alabama Education Association urging defeat of Amendment 4 that would have removed outdated racist language from the constitution, voters listened and defeated the amendment.

<p>The last statewide Democratic office holder departed Wednesday when Republican Public Service Commissioner Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh was sworn in as PSC president just hours after defeating incumbent Democrat Lucy Baxley.</p><p>Almost immediately, Cavanaugh's family left on vacation.</p><p>“I promised my little girl I'd take her to Disney World,” Cavanaugh said.</p><p>According to incomplete and unofficial totals, Cavanaugh received 1.068 million votes to Baxley's 900,044, a margin of 8 percentage points.</p><p>Republican Roy Moore beat Democratic Jefferson County Circuit Judge Robert Vance Jr. to claim the chief justice office currently held by Republican Chief Justice Charles Malone.</p><p>Moore will take office in January, a little more than eight years after he was removed as chief justice for violating a federal court order to remove his Ten Commandments monument from the Judicial Building.</p><p>“We're going to stand for the acknowledgement of God,” said Moore, who was known as the Ten Commandments judge.</p><p>Moore received 1,042,852 votes, or 52 percent, to Vance's 967,046 votes, according to incomplete and unofficial results.</p><p>Moore twice ran unsuccessfully for governor, in 2006 and 2010, but lost in GOP primaries. He said he felt “vindicated” by Tuesday's vote.</p><p>“They certainly see me as chief justice,” Moore said.</p><p>All seven incumbent members of Congress were re-elected.</p><p>U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, won a ninth term in the Fourth Congressional District by beating Democratic state Rep. Daniel Boman, D-Sulligent. Aderholt got 197,630 votes to Boman's 68,427, according to a complete but unofficial tally.</p><p>Aderholt represents Etowah County.</p><p>Baxley, the sole statewide Democratic officeholder, said this was her last race. All 31 statewide elected positions are in the GOP column.</p><p>“The people of Alabama have now voted Republican leaders into every statewide elected office,” Gov. Robert Bentley said. “We have a responsibility to serve the people of this state, and we do not take that responsibility lightly.”</p><p>Baxley was elected to statewide office twice as state treasurer, once as lieutenant governor and once as PSC president.</p><p>“She has a real legacy and was a real role model in the state,” Cavanaugh said.</p><p>Cavanaugh, a former Republican Party chairwoman, said elections are about party affiliation, but serving in office is nonpartisan.</p><p>“The reality is once you're sworn in, it's not about the party, it's about the people of all Alabama,” she said.</p><p>Cavanaugh's election creates a vacancy in PSC Place 1, which she has represented since 2010. Speculation is that Bentley will appoint state Rep. Jeremy Oden, R-Eva, to it, possibly next week.</p><p>“We're talking and working out details, but I can't say (anything),” Oden said in a telephone interview.</p><p>PSC president and chief justice were the only two contested statewide offices on Tuesday's ballots, but voter turnout didn't match the record set in 2008 during the historic election of Barack Obama as the nation's first black president. Obama was re-elected Tuesday, but, as in 2008, he didn't win Alabama.</p><p>With 2,710 of 2,711 Alabama precincts reporting, 2,050,813 people voted for president on Tuesday. The remaining precinct is for provisional ballots.</p><p>The turnout in 2008 was 2,096,114. Unless provisional ballots and yet-uncounted absentee ballots from overseas are more than about 46,000, the 2008 turnout will remain the record. Nov. 28 is vote-certification day.</p><p>Alabama has 3.162 million registered voters, but 2.833 million are considered active voters. Secretary of State Beth Chapman said voter turnout was 72.3 percent of the number of active, registered voters.</p><p>Republicans won the uncontested appellate court races.</p><p>Ten of 11 statewide constitutional amendments passed, including the Forever Wild amendment, Bentley's Amendment 2 that updates the state's industrial incentive fund and the amendment shifting legislative pay decisions to the state Personnel Office based on the average Alabama family's income.</p><p>“I want to thank the people of Alabama for approving Amendment 2 and allowing us to continue bringing more new jobs to this state,” Bentley said. “Job creation remains my No. 1 priority, and my efforts to attract more jobs will continue until everyone who wants a job is able to find one.”</p><p>After a campaign by the Alabama Education Association urging defeat of Amendment 4 that would have removed outdated racist language from the constitution, voters listened and defeated the amendment.</p>